Tkme: Another editor for formal metadata

This page describes an editor for formal metadata, that is, structured documentation conforming to the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata developed by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC).

New! Tkme version 3 helps you select keywords using vocabulary web services.

The editor shares a considerable amount of its code with its progenitor, Xtme, which is specifically for Unix systems and is based on the Athena widget set of the standard X Window System distribution. Both Tkme and Xtme are closely allied with mp, a compiler for formal metadata, whose purpose is to verify that the syntactical structure of a file containing formal metadata conforms to the FGDC standard, and to re-express the metadata in various useful formats. The editors are intended to simplify the process of creating metadata that conform to the standard.

Tkme can be built for Unix systems if desired. Tkme is specifically designed as a port of Xtme to Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT, and 2000.

The editor and the metadata compiler are both available in source and executable form through <https://geology.usgs.gov/tools/metadata/>

Getting started

Linux users

Tkme can be compiled from the source distribution or it can be run as a tclkit. Download tkme.kit and an appropriate version 8.4 of Tclkit. Rename the tclkit and place in a convenient location such as /usr/local/bin/tclkit. Then run Tkme using the command tclkit tkme.kit

Documentation

The formal metadata for xtme describes the editor and its usage. Generally what goes for Xtme goes for Tkme. In addition to menus a number of keyboard shortcuts are provided. Generally keystrokes involving the Alt key affect the structure of the metadata while keystrokes involving the Ctrl key affect the operation of the program.

Controlling the program
KeyAction
Ctrl-OOpen a new file
Ctrl-SSave the file
Ctrl-XCut to the clipboard
Ctrl-CCopy to the clipboard
Ctrl-VPaste from the clipboard
Ctrl-QQuit
F1Show help window
F2Show output window
Working with the element hierarchy
KeyAction
Alt-Up
Alt-KP_8
Move to the previous element
Alt-Down
Alt-KP_2
Move to the next element
Alt-Home
Alt-KP_7
Move to the root (top) element
Alt-End
Alt-KP_1
Move to the last element
Alt-PgUp
Alt-KP_9
Move up about 10 elements
Alt-PgDn
Alt-KP_3
Move down about 10 elements
Alt-Left
Alt-KP_4
Collapse the current element
Alt-Right
Alt-KP_6
Expand the current element
Alt-PlusExpand the wholelist by one level
Alt-MinusCollapse the whole list by one level
Alt-DDuplicate the current element
Alt-PPrune the current subtree
Alt-AAdd all possible children to the current element
Alt-TInsert today's date in the value
Alt-tildeSwap current element with the one above it

Technical contact

Peter N. Schweitzer
    Mail Stop 954, National Center
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Reston, VA 20192

    Tel: (703) 648-6533
    FAX: (703) 648-6252
    email: pschweitzer@usgs.gov